Many women gain weight before, during, and after menopause for a number of reasons, including hormonal changes. Express.co.uk spoke with Dr Shahzadi Harper of menopause platform Issviva about the best ways to lose weight.
Dr. Shahzadi explains:
“Weight gain is often the result of one or more of the following: slowed metabolism, hormonal imbalance, loss of muscle mass, hypothyroidism, insulin resistance, poor sleep quality, Stressed or not moving enough.
Experts have elaborated on poor sleep quality and how it affects someone’s weight.
she said: This is one of the symptoms she often hears from women at menopause clinics.
Read more: James Martin Admits to Fatty Fish to Maintain Weight Loss for 3rd Time
Dr. Shahzadi shared her top 10 tips for menopausal weight loss.
1. Don’t blame yourself too much.
2. Keep it real and set realistic expectations – Some acceptance that our bodies have changed doesn’t mean we’re still not attractive sexy beings!
3. But if your weight is tipping into an unhealthy range and your health is at risk, start by cutting back on your calorie intake – some women just write down everything they eat and drink. You can easily do it with
4. Try intermittent fasting too. Restricting meal times is beneficial and helps improve insulin sensitivity.
5. Balance hormones – HRT is a great way to do this.
6. Eat foods with a low glycemic index (GI). These are foods that don’t spike blood sugar and can help manage weight loss. We recommend eating low GI foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans and lentils.
7. Eat more protein to keep you feeling fuller for longer – A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, can also help reduce brain fog.
8. Supplements like magnesium can help you sleep and reduce stress.both cause weight gain
9. Explore stress management tools
10. Move your body! Cardiovascular activity helps speed up your metabolism, but this slows down as you get older. If you haven’t been exercising for a while, I recommend starting with 10 minutes of brisk walking a day (make sure your heart rate goes up and you’re out of breath a bit) and then introduce strength training. You can use your own weight to buy a set of dumbbells. This helps you lose body fat, strengthen and build muscle, and burn more calories.
